Tales From The Couch
by MySoulAches
Summary: Jane and Maura are official frenemies. They are feeling the pressure of their crumbling friendship, but both are too stubborn to put an end to the silence. It wasn't until Maura's Vermont vacation, did the opportunity arise for the two to mend their relationship. With the help of Mama Rizzoli, Jane works up the nerve to follow her heart & Maura to Vermont. A Rizzles story. MATURE
1. Prologue

**Prologue - Silence**

Jane hadn't spoken to Maura since the day she shot Paddy. She couldn't understand why Maura was punishing her for defending herself! It made Jane feel like Maura valued that fucking Paddy's life over hers. She gets that he's her father and all, but why give her the cold shoulder because of doing something that was instinctive?

She was a cop. She lived and breathed justice. And knowing that Patrick Doyle was in custody gave her the greatest satisfaction that one could ever have. But regardless of how satisfying it was putting him behind bars was, Maura's attitude stole a considerable amount of joy from her.

Jane thumbed through the rest of the papers in the file and sipped on her coffee. Just as she was closing the file, Angela came and sat down opposite of her and sighed.

"That was a big sigh." Jane said looking up at her mother, "What's up?"

Angela shrugged and sighed again.

Jane chuckled, "Okay? Am I supposed to guess what's wrong? Or are you just going to tell me?"

Angela pursed her lips into a pout and smiled. "I'm just thinking about you and Maura."

The very sound of her name made her feel emotional. It was already hard enough being ignored at work, but she also has been ignoring her during the evening time too. They'd never fought this badly before! Even when they did, they'd make up. Or if they had a spat at work, they'd usually make up via text. But there hasn't been any communication in nearly three weeks. And that was an extremely large amount of time according to their friendship time table.

Maura usually couldn't go two hours without texting her some random fact or random selfie. Jane held back the tears that were stinging her eyes as her mother reached across the table and touched her hand.

"Have you talked to her, honey?"

Jane shook her head negatively, "Nope. She's been ignoring my texts and when I call, she sends me into voicemail. I think she blocked my number." She retracted her hand and swigged down a huge gulp of coffee. It burned her esophagus instantly.

"Fuck!" She cursed herself for not thinking about the temperature of the beverage, but at the same time, she was okay with it because that simple stupid act concealed the fact that the tears that now came out of her eyes, were because of her thoughts of Maura's rejection.

"Be careful, Janie," Angela chuckled and patted her hand. "I overheard her talking with Detective Korsak this morning."

"And?"

"And she's going out of town today."

This peaked Jane's curiosity, "Where?"

Angela shrugged, "I don't know."

Jane laughed out loud, "We both know that's bullcrap. You do know."

Angela smiled and leaned forward. "She's headed up to Montpelier."

"Why there?" Jane said sitting back in her seat. That was such a far place to go. Her stomach sank thinking that Maura was trying to get away from her presence.

"She said that she just needed some quiet time to think about things."

"Oh…" Jane said blankly. "But what about that storm front that's supposed to move in? Isn't that a bad idea?"

Angela nodded. "That's exactly what Detective Korsak was trying to explain to her, but we know our Maura. She's a stubborn one."

Jane nodded vacantly. By now she'd caught sight of Maura entering the café. Maura hadn't seen her yet, but as she turned the corner their eyes met. To Jane's surprise, Maura held her gaze for what seemed like hours before finally breaking away and walking over to another table. Jane sighed and looked down at her coffee cup.

"This has got to stop, Janie."

"Tell her that." Jane's voice was low and uncertain. It used to piss her off that Maura was avoiding her, but now, it just bummed her out.

"I have."

"Well it's obvious that she doesn't want to end this… Whatever _this_ is." Jane said looking over at Maura's table. "So I don't care anymore."

"That's a lie. You know you care."

"I certainly don't," Jane fibbed.

Angela reached over to the next table and retrieved a copy of the day's newspaper and showed it to her.

"Oh look at that. I made front page news." Jane rolled her eyes.

"You both did. Seems like everyone keeps talking about you girls being friend-enemas."

"Frienemies, Ma… Frienemies." Jane said shaking her head and suppressing a laugh.

"Whatever! The point is that this is not healthy. You've got to get back what you girls had before Paddy got in the way."

"Tell her that." Jane repeated.

"No…" Angela said standing up, "I'm telling you that. I'm telling you! You need to end this, and end it soon. Because if you don't, your friendship will dissolve right before your eyes and you will not be able to get it back."

Jane lowered her eyes, and Angela reached and lifted her chin.

"I used to think there was no one more stubborn then my Jane Clementine, but then I met Maura."

Jane smiled and nodded. "You are so right about that."

"That's why you need to be the one."

Jane bit down on her lip. "But I didn't do anything wrong."

"That's not the issue here, Baby. In order to save something that you really care about, sometimes you have to apologize even if you didn't do anything wrong."

"Ugh, that sucks,"

Angela chuckled softly and reached into her pocket. "Here, this should help you out a little bit." She said sliding the folded napkin over to her.

Jane retrieved it and smiled. "How did you get the address to where she's going?"

"Actually Korsak got it, because he wanted to know where she'd be in case she was snowed in, he'd send help."

A smile creased Jane's face as she looked up at her mother, "You're amazing, Ma."

"It's the least I can do." She said stroking Jane's face softly. "Maura doesn't need to be alone with this storm moving in. You should go ahead home and pack a few clothes and get there before the weather turns bad."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," she laughed nervously. "What, you want WWIII to happen? Me and Maur, snowed up in a house when she obviously hates my guts?"

"She doesn't hate you, silly. And this is probably what you both need in order to mend your relationship." Angela nodded and backed away, "Trust me. What could it hurt?"

So she left Jane sitting there pondering over the idea. Jane watched her mother walk over to Maura's table, and hug and kiss her lightly on the forehead. Oh, what Jane would give to be able to do that again. She trusted her mother and she knew she would never steer her wrong. She quickly entered the address to the house in Montpelier, and calculated her route. Just a little under 3 hours.

That was a perfect drive. She took a deep breath and rose from her seat. She knew Angela was right. She had to be the one to mend the friendship. And she was ready…

* * *

 **A/N: Okay guys this is going to be a fun story. In the beginning, they're still mad at each other, and they aren't Rizzles…YET, but you will quickly see, that once these two get snowed in, that's when the Rizzles sizzle starts to happen. Rated Mature for a reason.**


	2. Surprise Visitor

**Chapter 1 - Surprise Visitor**

Maura opened the door and looked around outside. The wind had picked up and there were ominously grey clouds on the horizon. She was thankful that she'd just made it to the house before the temperature dipped below freezing. The roads would be slick now with a thin layer of ice from the rain shower just a couple hours before.

She looked down at her watch. It was nearing 6:00 pm and she knew soon the darkness and the cold would be settling over her. She smiled, realizing that she had the entire evening to relax, read books on her iPad, and sit by the fire. She inhaled the cold air deep into her lungs and shut the door.

She walked over to the fireplace and placed a few logs onto the fire, and afterward, she sat down on the floor by the couch and grabbed her iPad. She'd just started a new novel and she was extremely excited about having all the time in the world to finish it.

Ten minutes into reading, she received a text message from Jane. She sighed and placed her phone down. She had already made a promise to herself not to read any messages from Jane. She knew that Jane had probably heard about her leaving town and was probably inquiring about it. But the more she tried to ignore the text reminder, the more she wanted to read it. And if she read it, Jane would see that she read it.

She picked up the phone and held it in her hand, fighting pure stubbornness and curiosity to read the text. Finally, curiosity won the battle. She clicked on the awaiting message:

 _Jane: Maur?_

Maura sighed and shook her head slowly. She couldn't understand why Jane wouldn't just give up. At least just momentarily. Jane was so persistent that it got on her nerves sometimes.

 _Jane: Why is this happening with us?_

Maura inhaled deeply and composed her reply:

 _Maura: What exactly is happening?_

Her heart relaxed a little bit. She realized she wasn't going to be forced into an uncomfortable confrontation with Jane. She wasn't going to have to face her and peer into Jane's haunting brown eyes. Those same brown eyes that gave her so much comfort on a daily basis became a reminder of the time when she stepped outside of herself and acted just like Paddy.

She didn't want to be reminded of it. She didn't want to be reminded of how easily it was to allow rage to overtake her and lead her every move. She didn't want to be reminded of how close she came to—

 _Jane: Do you not care about our friendship anymore? If not, let me know and I'll leave your mean ass alone._

Maura chuckled lightly and sighed.

 _Maura: I do care._

 _Jane: Then why have you been ignoring me?_

Maura left her message on "read" and didn't respond. She did not want to start her vacation by text arguing with Jane. She got up from her seat and made her way into the kitchen where she made her a snack of cheese and crackers. The entire time she was going over possible responses to give Jane so she'd leave the subject alone.

Quite frankly, she didn't have a proper reply. She didn't even understand herself why she had been ignoring Jane. It's just been a rough time for her.

 _Maura: Is there something that you need?_

Jane didn't reply for a long time. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen. Maura began to wonder what she was doing and what she was busy with. Then,

 _Jane: My best friend…_

Maura sighed and clenched her phone in her hand. She hated that it had gotten to this point, but it was what it was. Maura decided not to reply to Jane's message. She placed the phone down on the side table and slid back down on the soft rug covering the floor.

The thought of how nice it would have been if Jane was here with her, flitted through her mind as quickly as a hummingbird bounces from one flower to another. As soon as it was there, it was gone. Gone without a trace.

She knew she'd probably upset her, but she wasn't ready to face her error. All she wanted to do was relax and enjoy this peaceful solitude that she had created for herself. A few minutes later, Jane had sent her a few more text messages back to back and then they stopped coming through. Maura would read them and reply in the morning. Maybe she could be able to sleep well tonight. Maybe they both could.

After she finished eating her snack, she finally got up onto the couch and settled in for a nice slumber by the fireplace. She pulled the soft blanket over her and relaxed her head onto the pillow. She watched the flames flicker and dance in the fireplace and she couldn't help but to feel even more relaxed. The radiant light of the fire warmed her body and lulled her to sleep.

* * *

Jane could barely see anything up ahead of her. She wondered why Maura picked a place out in the middle of nowhere to run away to. She shook her head and glanced out of the driver's side window.

"Christ," She groaned, "This was such a brilliant idea." She lamented.

Her GPS said that she was on the right track, only a mile and a half away from her destination but it looked like she was literally driving through space. Visibility was extremely low and it had started to snow. She knew she shouldn't have stayed and watched that recorded ball game. Bad judgement on her part. She thought she'd have enough time to beat the storm in but apparently it moved in more quickly than she had anticipated.

She slowed her speed to a mere 15 mph when she felt the traction on her wheels go a little. She really should have put the chains on her wheels like she had planned to back at the last stop. But she was hell bent on getting to Maura, she decided not to.

"Real smooth, Rizzoli," she chastised herself.

Her phone chimed with a text message from Maura.

 _Maura: What exactly is happening?_

Jane rolled her eyes. Of course Maura was going to play dumb in all this. Or maybe she just didn't care what her estrangement was doing to her and to them. Or maybe Maura just didn't care about her anymore. And that was cool, because she wouldn't be the first to drop her as a friend and Jane was certain that she wouldn't be the last.

Jane slowed the car down even more as the snow started coming down heavily. Her GPS said she was about 15 minutes away. And honestly, she couldn't wait to get out of the car and into a warm house! She was freezing! Somewhere along the way, the heating element in the car gave out and she was freezing her tits off. All in the name of friendship!

 _Jane: Do you not care about our friendship anymore? If not, let me know and I'll leave your mean ass alone,_ she responded.

She felt safe texting, although it was so illegal, because she was going at snail's pace, plus she had to size up Maura's attitude at the moment. The last thing she wanted was to surprise a cranky Maura.

Jane kept driving, knowing that when Maura replied she would get notification.

 _Maura: I do care._

Jane smiled. It made her feel somewhat better knowing that Maura still cared about their friendship… and her.

 _Jane: Then why have you been ignoring me?_ Jane decided to be bold and put it out there. She was tired of sugar coating things in fear of making Maura more upset and further driving a wedge between them. Enough was enough. Maura needed to just get over it.

And of course she went silent again. Maura read Jane's message but did not respond. Maura didn't respond for the better part of seven minutes. Jane counted. It was exactly seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds.

 _Maura: Is there something that you need?_

"Is there something I need?" Jane gasped. "What the fuck!" Jane was beyond herself with questions as to why Maura was treating her like this. "Yeah, I need my friend. I need you!" She said out loud as if Maura could hear her.

Here she was, she'd just driven 3 hours to surprise her and now this stupid snow storm was making the last few minutes seem like an eternity. She was cold, she was hungry and she just wanted her friend back. Was that too much to ask? Jane slowed the car to a stop and allowed herself to shed those angry and hurt tears that were boiling up inside of her.

She couldn't understand why this affected her like it did. If it was anyone else, she could care less if they wanted to give her the cold shoulder. But when Maura did it, man it tore her up inside.

She was having second thoughts and all she wanted to do now was turn around and run back home with her tail tucked between her legs. She couldn't take face to face rejection.

She speed dialed her mother.

"Hello?" Angela answered.

"Ma." Jane choked out.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked worriedly, "Did something happen?"

Jane forced herself to hold in the tears. "I can't do this; she is in such a crappy mood."

"How close are you?"

"I can see the house up ahead."

"You've gone that far, Honey. There's no reason to turn around now." Angela reassured her.

"I know you're right, but…"

"No buts, Janie. It will be fine. Trust me. Sometimes a friendship has to be subjected to a little heat before it can be refined and made better."

Her mother's words were so profound. And true. This was by far the hardest time that she and Maura had ever gone through. But she didn't want to give up yet. She wanted to see her at least and talk to her. And she knew she had to get there fast and get out of this storm.

"Thank you, you're so right."

"I know I am. Now go and win your friend back, sweetie. I'll text you later to make sure you made it okay. I saw on the weather channel that the storm is moving in faster than they had thought and it's going to dump a lot of snow."

"Yeah, it's already nasty out here."

"Go and get inside. Love you sweetie."

"I love you too, Ma… Thanks." She said as she disconnected the call.

She sat for a moment, slowly collecting herself and gathering enough courage to face her. Her heart pounded in her chest and her palms began to sweat.

She opened up Maura's message dialogue and replied:

 _Jane: My best friend…_

Jane waited and waited and waited. But Maura did not respond. And that was okay, because she could see the house from where she was, and she was so close. She slowly increased the speed of the car to the slowest and safest operating speed.

The snow now came down in blankets, and she had nothing but the lights of the house up ahead to guide her. It was like a lighthouse, beckoning her to safety and warmth.

In just a few minutes more and she would be able to see the face of her beloved best friend and spend some time with her. Even though Jane had her fears, she knew Maura would not turn her away. She knew that even if she would be completely pissed at her for crashing her solitary vacation, Maura wouldn't act like a total ass the entire time.

Jane chuckled to herself as she turned the bend to head up the hill. As she was ascending the slight incline, the wheels began to lose traction again. Jane slowed down, but her decrease in acceleration didn't work. She felt the car sliding backwards.

"Oh no no no!" She yelled as she slammed the brakes in panic.

The car kept sliding backwards, and Jane had to think quickly. She knew there was a drop-off on the right as she came up the hill, so she did her best to steer the car into the trees to the left. She thought this to be extremely ironic of how close she came to the house only to be careening off into the unknown.

She glanced up into the rear view mirrors and caught sight of tall dark figures approaching. She braced herself for the impact. She knew she would survive this, and would probably end up with a really terrible headache. No to mention she was going to have to walk up the hill in the snow.

All in the name of friendship.

Jane steered the car half-blindly and braced for impact. Seconds later, she crashed into the lining of trees, the thick brush absorbing most of the impact. She sat stunned as her head spun from fear. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and herself.

A second later she realized that she was still holding her phone. She tried to call Maura but her calls went straight into voicemail.

"Damn it, Maur," she groaned as her head began to hurt.

Then she composed series of frantic and not so coherent texts to Maura. She couldn't even think straight, let alone text complete sentences.

"Come on, reply please." She begged.

After her text pleas went unanswered, she finally decided to get out and brave it. Her head still spun, now it ached too. And dizziness had started. She pushed opened the door and crawled out of the car. She may have had a bump on the head, but she knew better than to make that walk without a coat.

She shrugged into her coat, and set her sights on the glowing orange lights of the house up ahead. She calculated that the house was about a quarter mile away. She pulled her coat in tight, covered her face and walked the rest of the way.

She knew she'd get there, but she'd probably be frozen half to death. But none of that mattered. The closer she got to the house, the more she was determined to get there. All she wanted was to see Maura, and to hug her, and to just be near her again.

As the house became clearer in sight, Jane knew that if she was going through this, then their friendship was definitely worth fighting for. And if Maura couldn't appreciate her efforts after this, then she didn't know what she'd do with her.

She reached the bottom stepped and stumbled to climb up onto the porch. She couldn't feel her feet anymore and her she was chilled to the bone. She pulled herself up and with the last bit of energy she had, she rang the doorbell.

She sunk down against the threshold leaned against the door. She was tired, spent of every last bit of energy that she had. She may be tired, but she made it.

She had finally made it…

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry for errors. I tried to catch them.


	3. Thaw

**Chapter 2 – Thaw**

Maura opened her eyes slowly. What was that noise? Was it the doorbell? She sat up and looked at her watch. She'd dozed off and was seemingly asleep for the past twenty minutes. She ran her fingers through her hair and yawned. She noticed that the fire had died down a bit so she got up and walked over to the fireplace. After placing another small log onto the fire she watched it burn.

She heard a weird noise at the door, which jogged her memory that she had awakened to the sound of something that resembled a door bell. By now it was after 7 pm and she thought that she was probably imagining it until the bumping noise came again.

She walked cautiously towards the door and peeked out of the side window. She couldn't see anyone standing there, but as her eyes traveled downward, she caught a glimpse of someone huddled against her door. Panic streaked through her body.

"Oh my god!" She gasped as she unlocked the door and swung it opened. The blistering cold wind rushed into the room as she reached down and grabbed the person and dragged them across the threshold into the house. She kicked the door shut with her foot and eased the limp body onto the floor.

Jane began to move and groan.

"Ma'am, how did you get out there?" Maura said reaching down and pulling back her hair from her face, "Where did you—" Her words instantly died upon her lips when she recognized her face.

Jane groaned again and turned back over, curling into a fetal position.

"Jane!" Maura shrieked and reached down and turned her over again. "Jane, what are you doing here? How?" Maura was so confused, but she needed to push her confusion aside.

"Cold…" Jane whispered. "So cold."

Maura reached down and pulled off Jane's coat, and then her shirt, and then her pants that were now soaking from the melted snow. Lastly, she pulled off her wet boots and socks. She immediately saw that Jane's legs had turned a light shade of blue. She immediately pulled Jane over to the fireplace and positioned against the chair. Jane slumped over onto the floor, undoubtedly unable to hold herself up.

She quickly put another piece of firewood onto the fire and stripped down to her underwear. She grabbed the blanket and ran to Jane's side. Maura threw the blanket around her shoulders and then secured Jane into her arms. Jane's body was so cold. She spooned her and rubbed her arms and legs repeatedly until she felt warmth return to them. The heat of the fire grew intense but she remained where she was. She knew that Jane needed her body heat just as much as she needed the fire.

Jane's body continued to tremble for some time. After probably 30 minutes or so, she'd finally stopped trembling and her body relaxed into a steady pattern of breathing. Maura still held her tightly, making sure to transfer as much of her body heat to Jane as she possibly could. And for some odd reason, she had a lot of it at the moment.

It could have been her adrenaline pumping through her veins or something else, she didn't know. All she knew is she wanted answers as to why Jane was here and how she knew she was here. Jane sighed heavily and leaned back against Maura's body. No amount of body heat could prevent the goosebumps from prickling Maura's skin. Her eyes momentarily fluttered shut as she felt Jane's hair fall across her cheek. Involuntarily and as if by instinct she reached and pulled Jane closer, her own body now trembling with an emotion that was completely unexpected and surprising. She found her hands trembling with restraint.

And as quickly as it had appeared, it was also gone. Maura pulled away from Jane and got up from the rug. She moved mechanically and calculated as she grabbed the pillow and another blanket and brought them back to Jane. She lifted Jane's head gently and placed her head onto the pillow. Before securing the blankets over her, she examined her legs. She was happy to see that the color had returned. She was relieved to know she'd gotten to her in time.

The thoughts of what could have happened if she didn't hear the doorbell bounced around in her mind. She didn't even want to think about it. She shook the thoughts out of her head and focused on securing the warm blankets around Jane. After she had completed the task, she sat watching her for a few minutes, completely amazed with how Jane's persistence had led her to her front door.

She placed another log into the fireplace and sat down beside Jane. She reached and retrieved her iPad, and picked up where she left off.

* * *

Jane bolted straight up from her sleep, gasping for air and grasping at the blankets.

"What? What the fuck?" She cried out as she struggled to pull herself from within the blankets that she had tangled herself up in.

Maura was right there. "Hey… Calm down, Jane. It's okay." Her voice was soothing and calm.

Jane spun around to see Maura sitting next to her. She was undoubtedly confused and exasperated after her ordeal.

"What are you doing here?" Jane asked.

Maura laughed and moved closer to her. "Well, I should ask you the same thing. You are the one who showed up at my doorstep."

Jane frowned and touched her head. Her memory was apparently returning to her and she started groaning softly.

"Just take it easy." Maura said as she placed a soft hand on Jane's arm. "I think you may have had an accident."

"Man…"

"Unless you walked the entire way to Montpelier from Boston?"

Jane laughed lightly. "Oh, you're so funny, Doc."

Maura shrugged and sighed. "Jane, what were you thinking?"

Jane rubbed her neck with her hand, "Obviously, I wasn't."

Maura nodded slowly, "Why did you come here, Jane?"

Jane leaned forward and put her head into her hands. Her head was swimming and the room seemed like it was spinning. "It's nice to see you too, Maur." She answered weakly.

Maura just stared at her, never uttering a word. Jane could feel her eyes on her. She turned and met her gaze. She was determined not to be the first to break it. Maura would just need to get used to the idea of having her around because she wasn't going to leave until they had restored their friendship.

"You can stay mad all you want, but I'm not leaving." Jane said.

Maura smiled half-heartedly, "I didn't ask you to leave. I just asked why you came here."

Jane maneuvered herself so she could turn and face her, and just as she did, the blankets fell off of her. It was then that she noticed that she was stripped down to her underwear.

"Holy crap, where are my clothes, Maur?"

Maura chuckled and shrugged.

"Really, what happened to them," Jane said, a smile creasing her face.

"I had to remove your clothes because they were wet and you were at a risk for hypothermia."

"Oh wow." Jane said vacantly as she pulled the blanket back over her. "So does that mean you got naked and snuggled with me?"

Maura almost couldn't contain her laughter. She'd almost forgotten how much she enjoyed Jane's company.

"I did not get naked, Jane. I simply stripped to my underwear and shared my body heat with you."

"Aww," Jane said stretching her arms high above her head, her disheveled hair fell into her face. She stretched her back out like a cat, making sure to get every kink that she could feel. She tossed her hair back and met Maura's gaze again.

"It's not a big deal. That's what most people would have done."

Jane nodded and moved to get up.

"You shouldn't move just yet, okay?"

"I'll be fine. It's not like I froze to death," She said hopping quickly to her feet and immediately regretting that she had done it. She instantly lost her balance and nearly crashed to the floor had it not been for Maura's quick thinking.

Maura caught her and steadied her in her arms until the wave of vertigo passed. "No, you didn't," she said softly, "But you were very close."

Jane nodded and allowed Maura to pull her over to the couch. She placed her down gently and tucked the blanket over her. She sat back on the opposite end of the couch.

No doubt they both were thinking about the times when they used to hang out and watch movies at Maura's house. Jane's eyes remained fixed on the fireplace as an awkward and extremely painful silence fell over them.

"I'll just leave in the morning." Jane sighed. "I'm sorry I interrupted your quiet time."

Maura glanced over at Jane and watched her for a minute or two. She chose not to respond with what was on her heart. Instead, she joined Jane in watching the fire. After a few minutes, Maura heard Jane's stomach growling.

Instinctively she got up and went into the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" She asked as she reached down and pulled a simmering pot out of the cabinet.

"No, not really."

"Okay," she said as she quietly prepared a meal of chicken noodle soup. She was in the mood for soup, especially since the storm had increased outside. After she was finished, she prepared her some and brought it back to the couch.

When she sat down, Jane watched her eat. "Hmmph," she grumped.

Maura looked up from her bowl. "What's the matter?"

"You didn't make any for your guest?"

"You said you weren't hungry."

Jane sighed heavily and tossed the blankets back from her. She sat up cautiously, testing her balance and stood up. "Geez, Maura."

Maura paid her no mind as Jane walked on into the kitchen. And as usual, Maura had made enough for the both of them.

"Uh…" Jane said while looking around for the bowls.

"Top left cupboard."

Maura may have been mad at her still but she always had the ability to read Jane's mind. Jane retrieved the bowl and poured her a generous amount of soup. She used the spoon that Maura left in the pot and scooped up a small amount. As she was about to taste a sampling of it, she glanced over at Maura who was already looking at her.

"What?" Jane asked.

Maura shook her head and continued eating.

"Oh, I know what this is…" Jane said grabbing her bowl and walking over to the couch. She sat down beside Maura, slightly closer than before.

Maura cut her eyes over to her, "What is it, Jane?"

"I betcha you are trying to poison me, huh?" She bounced her eyebrows playfully, doing her best to disarm her stubborn best friend.

Maura rolled her eyes, but Jane noticed a barely visible crease at the corner of her mouth. It was the start of a smile.

"Yeah, what's going to happen when I eat this?"

"Hmm," Maura said, "possibly you'll be nourished and gain sufficient energy?"

Jane nodded, "Maybe… Or maybe once I eat it, I'll start hallucinating and seeing all these little midgets riding rainbow colored unicorns?"

Maura chuckled and smiled. It was the most beautiful sight that Jane had seen in a very long time. She just sat there and admired Maura's beautiful smile and her adorable laugh. She'd missed it so much.

"You're insane. I wouldn't poison you." She said. She continued eating her meal, refusing to gaze into Jane's eyes when she was at such a close proximity.

"Am I still your best friend?" Jane's question was barely audible, silenced only by her taking a bite of the soup.

Silence fell over them and the only things that could be heard were the sounds of the crackling fire and the occasional clinks of the silverware against the bowls.

"Maybe…" Maura finally said.

Jane smiled and took another quiet bite of soup. They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, neither one of them wanting to breach the subject of their animosity. If Jane had to travel three hours, trek through the snow, just to sit here with her in peaceful solitude, then she'd take that any day over what they'd been having.

After a few more long extended periods of silence, Maura finally stood up and stretched. She looked down at her watch. "I'm going to bed."

"Oh, okay." Jane said looking around at her surroundings.

"I'll bring you down another pillow and another blanket. It might get cold once the fire goes out."

"Oh…" Jane answered blankly. Of course she was remembering their girl's nights at Maura's house and how they'd either sleep on the couch together or they'd share Maura's bed. It just seemed so unnatural to sleep without her. "Okay."

Maura sighed and turned off towards the stairs. She had just made it half way to the top when Jane called out after her, "Yes?" she answered.

"Uh, do you want to stay down here with me?" she laughed nervously. "I won't bite."

"No…" Maura said quietly. "I don't think that's a good idea." She pointed towards the top of the stairs, "I'm going to go and get your linens, okay?"

Jane just nodded. Her heart feeling the searing sting of Maura's rejection.

"Ouch," Jane whispered when Maura disappeared out of sight. She resigned to just lay down and call it a night. More than likely, they'd have a chance smooth things out in the morning.

It had been one hell of a day. Tomorrow would be better.

"Yeah, tomorrow will be better," Jane yawned and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **The Next Morning…**_

Jane awakened to the aroma of bacon cooking and coffee brewing. As she turned over, she felt the warm heat of the fireplace. Sometime during the night, the fire had gone out and she was too lazy to get up and start another one. She opened her eyes to see Maura kneeling by the fireplace poking at the flames with the iron poker. Her eyes were ablaze as the reflections of the flames danced around in them.

Jane could sit all day and just watch her…

"Hey," Jane said softly. She was determined to break down this barrier that Maura had built up if it was the last thing she did.

Maura sure was a stubborn one, but Jane knew her better than anyone. And she knew that if she was patient and persistent, Maura would come around.

Maura turned and smiled slightly. "Good morning." She said rising to her feet and dusting off her hands.

"Something smells good."

"Um hmm," she answered as she washed her hands and tended to the sizzling bacon. "Being up here makes me crave an all American hearty breakfast."

Jane sat up and stretched. "What are you making?" She said as she stood up and walked over to the fire and warmed herself.

"Bacon, eggs, home fries. And coffee."

"That sounds delicious," She reached over and grabbed the robe laying across the arm of the chair. "Maybe I can make me some when I get back."

"Back? From where?" Maura's face crinkled up with confusion.

Jane shrugged into the robe and tied it tight around her body. She then pulled her hair out of the collar and tossed the kinks out. "I gotta go get my things out of my car."

Maura laughed.

"What's so funny?"

Maura pointed to the door and popped a piece of bacon into her mouth, "Go see for yourself."

Jane frowned at her and walked over to the door. She glanced out of the window and gasped. "You gotta be fucking kidding me."

Maura chuckled lightly and stirred the eggs.

Jane looked at her sideways. "Oh, you're just loving this aren't you, huh?"

Maura shrugged and continued to prepare her breakfast.

"All of this happened last night?"

Maura nodded.

"Man, that sucks. Looks like I'm going to be stuck with your mean ass for a few days." she said laughing.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you drove all the way here to crash my peace and solitude."

"Hmmph," Jane said as she gazed out of the window. Something from deep within her starting stirring. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but the more she contemplated she and Maura being stuck out in the middle of nowhere together and alone, it excited her.

After a few minutes of looking out across the snowy landscape, she walked over to the kitchen and sat down at the table. She watched Maura in silence, never saying a word to her while she performed her task.

"Would you like some breakfast, Jane?" Maura finally broke the silence.

"Sure, if there's enough for me."

"Okay," Maura said as she reached and grabbed an additional plate from the cupboard.

"Thanks, Maur."

"You're welcome."

Jane got up from her seat and walked over to her. She stood beside her and leaned against the counter. She reached and touched her lightly on the arm. Maura's body went rigid on contact.

"Thanks for saving me," Jane said softly as she squeezed her arm gently. "I owe my life to you."

Maura's eyes fluttered shut as she lowered her head. Her eyes moved over to where Jane's hand connected with her arm and then she looked up at Jane.

"You don't need to thank me."

Jane nodded and smiled at her. Her dark eyes attempted to read Maura's, peering deep into her soul like she was so accustomed to doing. But oddly enough, she couldn't read Maura's expression at the moment.

"What is it, Jane?" Maura asked.

Jane shook her head negatively and shrugged. "I don't know I was just…" she sighed, thinking of how stupid it was that she had to ask for a hug. She'd never had to ask for one before and she certainly was not going to start now! What's the worst that could happen? Maura would push her away.

Without thinking anymore about it, she just did it; she reached and pulled Maura into her arms and embraced her tightly. Maura's body was rigid and unforgiving at first, but eventually she relaxed and hugged Jane back.

Jane sighed a sigh of relief and buried her face into the crook of Maura's neck. She'd forgotten how good it felt to be held in Maura's arms. She pulled her tighter, not wanting to let go of this moment.

Maura inhaled deeply and let out a quivering sigh as her slender fingers moved up and gently strummed the soft hairs at the base of Jane's neck. Jane relaxed even more in Maura's arms, pursing her lips, giving her neck a gentle kiss.

Jane felt Maura's body tremble a second after she kissed her lightly on the neck. It was undeniable. Maybe Maura could have disguised it if she hadn't clenched Jane's hair at the same time. But it was too late to worry about it now. They both knew what happened.

"Please don't stay mad at me long, Maur." Jane said softly as she started to release her, "I've missed you so much." She whispered before she pulled away from her.

"I've missed you too, Jane."

Jane pulled away and nodded. She struggled to keep her emotions in check. A super awkward silence fell over them as Jane went back to the table and sat down. She really didn't want to sit down but, if she had continued holding Maura, she probably would have done something very out of character.

She kind of wanted to slap herself, because something weird was going on with her. It had to have been the weather or the isolation or the fact that they were miles away from anyone they knew, that made these unfamiliar thoughts race through Jane's head. She didn't trust herself much to do anything but eat. Yeah, she must occupy her mouth with something so she wouldn't think about what it would feel like to kiss Maura's lips…

"Here you go," Maura said as she placed the meal down in front of Jane.

"Thanks." She replied quickly.

"You're welcome."

Maura sat opposite of her and they dined on their breakfast in peace. Jane stole occasional glances from Maura and Maura pretended not to notice. After breakfast was finished, Maura collected the plates and washed them, after which she walked over to the couch and sat down.

Jane didn't budge.

Maura connected the TV to her hotspot and began cycling through the Netflix selections.

"I'm in the mood for a horror movie marathon." She called over her shoulder.

"Oh really?"

"Yes…" she said softly. A minute later she had found a movie to watch and she turned around towards Jane. "Would you like to join me?"

Jane's heart turned over in her chest. "Uh, yeah. That'll be great." She said rising from her seat. She was there at Maura's side in seconds.

She sat down quietly on the opposite end and pulled the blanket over her body. She had an overall good feeling about Maura, but she didn't want to push it. They still hadn't talked about anything so she was going to be cautious. Right now, Maura was just tolerating her, she was sure of it.

Maura pulled the other end of Jane's blanket over her feet and clicked the play button. And again, they sat peacefully... watching the movie. Jane didn't protest, because this was way better than fighting with her. It was far more better.

As the opening credits were running, Jane laughed. "Man, this movie is going to suck. It has Casper Van Dien in it."

Maura chuckled lightly. "Oh, leave him alone. He's adorable."

"That he is, but…" Jane said as she reached over and tapped Maura's foot playfully, "It'll probably still suck."

Maura laughed and turned up the volume.

For the first time in many weeks, the outlook on their friendship looked a little brighter.

* * *

 **A/N: As you can see, I'm not rushing them. I hope I can truly do them justice with this story. For those of you that want Rizzles, it's definitely going to come very soon in this story. For those of you that want angst, you'll get it when they talk about their animosity. I appreciate all of your thoughts. Each new story is nerve wrecking but knowing what you guys think of the progress, helps a lot. I plan to update regularly. If I don't update within 72 hours, please don't panic. lol... I may be busy with things or not feeling well. Thanks for reading! Stay Tuned.**


	4. Snowed In

**Chapter 3 – Snowed In**

By the time 2pm rolled around, Jane was tired of watching horror flicks. She was certain that she probably wouldn't sleep a wink tonight. Maura had carried on a decent conversation from here or there, but overall she remained quiet. She was comfortable just sitting there watching movies all day. Jane on the other hand was getting stir crazy. She wanted to go outside and do something but of course she couldn't.

"Man, how can you sit here all day like this. It's driving me crazy!" She finally verbalized her thoughts.

Maura looked at her sideways and frowned a bit. "What's wrong with sitting and watching a few movies?"

"Nothing." Jane said as she readjusted her position on the couch. She couldn't sit not one more minute. She had to get up and move. She got up and paced the floor.

"What's going on with you?"

"I don't know; I guess I'm getting stir crazy from being cooped up in here with you like this."

"Well, gee thanks."

Jane sighed realizing how it sounded. This was exactly what she wanted. Which is exactly why she came here. She wanted to be cooped up and stranded with Maura, but she didn't anticipate the thoughts and the feelings that were coursing through her.

"I didn't mean it like that, Maur…" She said as she sighed and came back and sat down. She looked over at Maura who had a blank expression plastered across her face. She looked down at Maura's legs that were tucked beside her.

"Do you need for me to move over?" Maura asked.

Jane shook her head, "No, just lift them a bit so I can scoot closer."

Without protesting, Maura did as Jane had asked of her, lifting her legs slightly so Jane could slide closer to her. When Jane was where she wanted to be, she gently took Maura's legs and lowered them onto her lap.

"Just like old times, huh?" Jane said softly as she gently caressed Maura's legs.

Maura nodded and gave her a slight smile. "Old times? It's hardly been a month and a half since we last sat like this, Jane."

"That's a month and a half too long, and you know it." Jane said as she glanced over at her.

"I know," Maura sighed heavily.

They didn't say anything to each other for a few minutes. Each treading carefully around the subject of what caused them to be frenemies.

"Maur, look…" she said pulling Maura's legs in tighter against her. This was her way of making sure that Maura didn't get up and run, and it was also Maura's favorite resting position as well.

Jane sighed and smiled at her. "We need to talk about it eventually."

Maura tipped her head towards the television set that neither one of them were watching.

"It's on Netflix. We can always play it from the beginning." Jane said.

Next Jane felt Maura attempt to tug her legs from her hands, she only tightened her grip.

"I don't want to talk about anything right now, Jane. Can't we just enjoy the movie?"

"That movie sucks and you know it."

Maura sighed heavily. "I don't like being pressured to discuss my feelings."

Jane nodded and continued to caressed Maura's legs. She squeezed her calf muscles gently, kneading the tension out of them. Maura responded like she always had and closed her eyes momentarily, and inhaling a deep and meaningful breath.

"Your legs are still as soft as I remember them."

Maura swallowed hard and lowered her head. "Don't, Jane."

"Don't what?"

She shook her head slowly and looked back up at Jane, "Don't do this, right now."

"What am I doing that's any different than what I've always done?"

"That's the point!" Maura snapped and pushed Jane away from her. She got up and walked over to the fireplace. She wrapped her arms around her body and squeezed herself tightly.

Jane came to her side a moment later. "What's the point, because clearly I'm missing something?" She asked as her hands came up cautiously and took Maura's arms. "Please, talk to me, Maur."

"No amount of talking could ever fix this, Jane." She shook her head slowly.

"Is it really that bad? I mean…" she said turning Maura to face her, "Is our friendship really that broken that it can't be fixed?"

Maura started to pull away, but Jane held her tighter, "Let me go, please." Maura said calmly.

"Why do I have to let you go, Maur?"

"Because I just asked you to." Her eyes finally met Jane's and when they did she instantly saw and felt what she had been trying to avoid for weeks. The pain of shame from her actions and the dull ache of longing that she felt every single moment she looked into Jane's eyes.

Jane pulled her closer, forcing her eyes to peer deeper into her soul. Maura wasn't afraid of much, but the way she felt about those warm brown eyes scared the hell out of her.

"Why are you being this way, towards me? I was just trying to protect myself."

"I know."

"Then why are you still angry with me about it?"

"Let me go, Jane." She said calmly. Maura hated being cornered. She really wished that Jane would just let her go.

"No. I'm not letting you go, Maura until you tell me why you are so angry with me and why you haven't talked to me in weeks."

"I don't want to talk about it right this moment, okay?"

"No that's not okay."

Finally, Maura had had enough. She pulled away from Jane with such force that Jane stumbled backwards. She'd held her temper as long as she could but she would be damned if Jane was going to force her to talk.

"If I say I don't want to talk about something, you don't have the right to try and force me to talk about it. Do you understand?" Maura said coolly, her eyes radiated with hot displeasure. "Best friend or not, if I don't want to talk, I don't have to talk."

Jane realized that she had crossed the line. She held her hands up disarmingly. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

Maura walked over to her, her eyes slowly burning holes through to the core of Jane's soul. "Especially, when I didn't invite you to come here and be with me."

The force of her words sliced through her heart. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Maura?"

"Nothing is wrong with me. I just don't like being forced to do anything."

"I get that, but what the hell is this?" Jane said waving her hand towards her.

"What is what?"

"This stupid attitude of yours. Yeah, I get that I crashed your goddamn private self-pity party, but that doesn't give you a right to be so rude to me!"

"What?" Maura gasped and stalked closer. "How dare you say that."

"Whatever," Jane said, "It's the truth."

"It is not the truth. I've been nothing but cordial with you ever since I dragged you into the house."

Jane's face twisted up a bit. She thought of how close she came to freezing to death for this girl and she was standing here acting crazy! She hated more than anything fighting with Maura but this needed to happen. "Cordial… Exactly."

"What's the problem?" Maura pushed past her and went off into the kitchen. She didn't want to have this fight either. She opened up the fridge and poured her a glass of wine, anything to calm her tattered nerves. "I'm being nice to you, Jane," she said taking a sip of wine, "What more could you possibly ask for?"

Jane walked into the kitchen behind her, determined to make her point. That is if she could hold her angry tears inside first. But then again, maybe Maura needed to see just how much her distance was affecting Jane.

"What more could I possibly ask for?" Jane gritted through her teeth. The sound of her distressed voice caused Maura to look up from the cup that she had been nursing. Maura saw the tears that brimmed Jane's eyes. She saw the hurt; and she saw so much more love radiating from Jane's eyes that she never thought possible.

"I want what we used to have back…" She said moving closer to her, "I want our Friday nights back. I want everything that I looked forward to after a long week back again." Jane said as she moved cautiously towards her, "Because right now, my life is really shitty without you in it."

Maura tipped the glass and gulped down the rest of the wine. When Jane touched her arm, she shivered lightly.

"Can we please try to fix this? Because I miss you like crazy, Maur." Jane said tugging her slightly.

Maura instinctively moved towards Jane, allowing her to pull her closer. "There's nothing to fix. Our friendship is still intact."

"Is it really?" She asked softly. "Because it seems like you're still mad at me."

Maura sighed and shook her head slowly. "You're right," she said looking up into Jane's eyes, "I have been acting irrationally, but it's not you. It's me."

"What's wrong with you?"

Maura fell silent and just gazed into Jane's eyes. She'd seen that look before, that look of confusion in the Doctor's eyes. She didn't see it often, but when she did it was so prevalent. Maura's face twisted into a frown and she slowly shook her head negatively.

"I wish I knew." She exhaled.

Jane sat down on the barstool, lowering her eye level to something a little less intimidating for Maura. Hopefully it'll make her open up a bit more. She pulled her closer, placing her hands on her arms and caressing them gently.

"Talk to me." Jane whispered as she looked up into Maura's eyes. She could tell something more was weighing on her heart, but she just couldn't tell what it was. Maura had successfully built this force field that shielding Jane's inquiries. Usually Jane could tell what was going on in Maura's beautiful mind, but not so much anymore.

"So much has been going on inside of me, Jane and it all started a little bit before you shot Paddy." She said quietly. She wasn't ready to talk about it, but she wanted Jane to know that it wasn't all about the shooting that made her step out of character. It was so much more than that.

Jane was relieved that she and her actions weren't the entire reason for Maura's distance and spite. Even though she couldn't decipher Maura's true feelings at the moment, she could decipher the anguish on her face as she battled with the feelings inside of her. "Come here." She said softly as her hands glided up Maura's forearms and pulled her closer.

Maura finally yielded to Jane's constant and subtle suggestions, allowing her to take her into her arms. Jane exhaled heavily as Maura accepted her offer of affection and comfort and pulled her against her. Jane closed her eyes and cherished the feel of her body against hers.

She still smelled so sweet, Jane had forgotten how wonderful it felt. Maura reached and laced her fingers through Jane's unruly mane and pulled her closer against her chest. Jane was having an extremely difficult time controlling her impulses. Especially with Maura's breasts pressed against her face like that.

She reached and wrapped her hands around Maura's waistline and pulled away from her. She gazed up into her eyes and studied them a moment. In them she saw something different, completely alien than she'd ever seen before in her eyes. But however alien it was, she recognized it.

"I am so sorry for hurting you, Maura." Jane apologized sincerely. "I never meant for any of this to happen to us." Jane's eyes pleaded with Maura's for forgiveness.

That was one thing she missed so much. Being able to communicate with Maura without even speaking a word. Just one look was usually enough…

"Oh Jane…" Maura exhaled and pulled her in for another embrace. "This was all me. And I am to blame. Forgive me, please?" She said as she placed a soft kiss on the top of Jane's head, and then another lingering one on her forehead.

Jane pulled away from her and stood up. She cupped Maura's face into her hands and pressed her lips against the area between her eyes. Maura's reaction to that simple display of affection was priceless. Her eyes fluttered shut and she trembled as her breath came out as a soft whimper. She was feeling something at that moment, and Jane would be willing to bet it was her.

After a few moments, Maura finally opened her eyes and gazed into Jane's. She said nothing, Jane said nothing as she gently caressed Maura's cheeks with her thumbs. She tried to fight the urge to look at her lips, but it was a losing battle. All she wanted at that moment was to press hers against Maura's and feel them. And taste them. Jane forced her eyes away from them and sighed heavily.

Whatever was happening to her, it wasn't going to stop until she satisfied her curiosity. Maura reached up and placed her hands on Jane's wrists as her thumbs now begin to caress Maura's lips. Jane felt hypnotized all of a sudden, unable to think about anything else except that.

"Jane," Maura's voice broke the silence.

Jane could feel Maura's body trembling even more now. And she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. Before she knew what was happening, she was leaning in slowly towards Maura. The very fact that Maura did not try to pull away excited her even more. That meant she wanted her to kiss her.

She detected Maura pulling her closer as her eyes darted back and forth between Jane's lips and her eyes. She was definitely wanting the same thing that Jane wanted. And her body was actually trembling with anticipation.

Jane knew that if she was going to do it, she needed to do it right then and right now. Their eyes were locked until Maura closed hers, because she couldn't take the anticipation any longer. Her lips parted, waiting for Jane's to meet hers for the very first time.

Jane couldn't turn back now if she tried. She closed the final gap and took Maura's lips softly. The softness of her lips caused Jane to sigh as a rush of passion shot through her body. Never in a million years would she have thought this would happen, but she was certain glad it was happening.

"Mmmm," Maura moaned softly as Jane reached and pulled her closer, pressing their bodies tightly together.

The light kiss, increased in depth and passion. There were so many emotions wrapped up in it. Maura reached and entwined her fingers in Jane's hair and pulled her deeper into her kiss. Jane's tongue appeared on the scene, gently caressing Maura's top lip, asking permission for entrance. She granted her instant access, touching hers seductively.

Jane lost herself in Maura's kiss. She didn't know how long it was, or even how short it was for that matter. All she knew was she had left planet earth for a while. Her mind slowly began to realize that Maura was slowly pulling away from her.

Her eyes opened slowly and gazed at Maura. The look of shock was on both of their face. A slight smile played on the side of Maura's mouth.

"There's nothing to forgive." Jane finally said.

Maura nodded and hugged her again. "Thank you…" She said softly in her ear, pulling away a second later.

Jane caught her hand, halting her escape. There they were again… Maura's beautiful eyes which she had so long ago learned to read. Maura nodded and smiled softly. Jane let her hand go and watched her walk off into the living room.

Jane could not believe what just happened. Even more so she couldn't believe that Maura kissed her back. Excitement began to bubble up inside of her more now. Because she knew that she and Maura were completely snowed in.

They couldn't go anywhere. They couldn't do anything.

But enjoy each other's company. And she was oh so ready…

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I would like to say to the guests who say my story is a waste of time and stupid... That's your opinion, thanks for sharing it. To the guest who said, my chronology of Maura taking off Jane's clothes was off. You're right. Thanks for pointing that out! Everyone else, I still like to hear your thoughts.**


	5. Brrr

**Chapter 4 – Brrr**

Jane had a permanent smirk plastered on her face as she sat with Maura watching the last movie in the horror movie queue. It was the movie _Invasion_ with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and was quite interesting. Jane was totally creeped out and she wondered, what it would be like if something like that happened for real. How weird it would be to be out of a job, because no one would be causing any problems.

But then again, she may be able to get used to not fighting crime anymore. Jane chuckled lightly at her own thoughts.

"What's so funny?" Maura asked as she popped some popcorn into her mouth. "That was actually extremely disgusting." She said referring to the scene.

"I was thinking about something else," Jane said softly as she reached over and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "We're getting to the bottom."

"I see that," Maura said as she reached in again, this time their hands touched lightly.

Jane looked over at their hands touching and then up at Maura. Maura seemed to be frozen in place. Her eyes slowly traveled down and gazed at their hands in the bowl. Jane reached gently with her index finger and caressed the back of Maura's hand. This caused her to look up at Jane.

"Would you like more?" Maura asked, the vague nature of her question left Jane's mind wide open to speculate.

Jane nodded, "I sure would." Her voice took on a deeper, sultrier tone as a smile played on the side of her mouth.

Maura nodded and blushed lightly. "Okay I'll go make us some." She said gathering the bowl into her hands and standing up.

Jane caught her arm lightly and squeezed it. "No, I'll do it. You've been doing a lot already. This is supposed to be your vacation, right?" She said as she tossed the blanket that had been covering their legs into Maura's arms. "Sit, and let's watch something else."

Maura sat down and started shuffling through the selection. "Which genre would you like?"

"Hmm," Jane said as she popped a bag of popcorn into the microwave, "Drama?"

Maura chuckled and sighed. "We've had enough drama already now don't you think?" She said glancing over her shoulder at Jane.

"We sure have." Jane agreed and watched the popcorn cook in silence. Three minutes later, she cooked another bag and poured it all into a bowl. She rejoined Maura a minute later.

When she sat down, Maura waited for her so they could resettle into the position they were previously sitting. Maura touched Jane's feet lightly.

"Would you like to put up your feet for a while?"

Without hesitation, Jane draped her feet across Maura's lap and placed the bowl of popcorn between them. "What did you choose," Jane asked.

"The Notebook."

Jane rolled her eyes, "Oh God, kill me now."

Maura laughed and swatted at her arm. "You say that every time I want to watch this."

"Because I mean it. I wish you would just put me out of my misery."

"Oh, Jane, it's not that bad."

"It's a love story, Maur… A very sappy love story to be exact."

Maura sighed heavily and shook her head slowly. "It's a story of loyalty, freedom, and undying love."

Jane gave her the signature arched eyebrow look, "Sappy…" Jane said as she tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

"You should try loving something other than your job, sometimes Jane."

Jane looked sideways at her. What did she mean by that? "I love plenty of things." She said adjusting her feet across Maura's legs. Maura reached and caressed Jane's feet, massaging them gently.

It had been so long since Maura had massaged Jane's feet that she'd forgotten what it was like. Her eyes fluttered shut involuntarily. A soft sigh escaped her mouth. "Your foot massages for one." She said in an attempt to rein in her reactions to Maura's touch.

"Oh really," she laughed. "What else besides my foot massages and your job."

"My family."

"Um Hmm," Maura smiled, "What else?"

Her hands squeezed harder, kneading the tension out of Jane's arch, which she just realized was aching from the trek up the hill. "Well… Um, I love cannoli."

Maura just smiled and gazed at Jane. Jane absolutely loved the way she looked at her now. It was no longer a look of contempt, but it was the look that she'd grown to love. Her Maura was back.

"What?" Jane chuckled, "I mean, I'm a busy person. I have no time for love."

"Um Hmm."

"Don't 'um hmm" me. I'm serious."

"I know you are."

"I really don't need someone around all of the time. I'm never home."

Maura laughed, "You're never home because you're always at my house." She cleared her throat, "I mean… used to be." She said softer.

Jane nodded and silenced herself with popcorn. She thought over her words carefully, for relying solely on the emotions she felt at the moment was sure to cause confusion. She wondered if Maura was ever going to bring up the kiss or if she was just going to pretend it didn't even happen. She wondered if she really wanted it, or if she just got caught up in the moment. After all, it's not every day your female best friend kisses you.

She continued to massage Jane's aching feet in silence then, "Well, we don't need to watch another movie."

"I don't really mind." Jane said. "I am just still feeling stir crazy."

"There's not much we can do about being stuck here, Jane."

"I know." She said reclining back onto the arm of the couch and closing her eyes. "I still can't help how I feel."

"How do you feel?" Maura said softly.

Jane opened her eyes and glanced over at Maura. She was watching her carefully, silently studying her face, her body language, and anything else that could give her a clue about how she was feeling. Jane thought it was funny because one big indicator of how she felt was that she just nearly made out with her in the kitchen.

"Umm, feel about what?"

"You said you can't help how you feel. What do you mean by that?"

"Oh…" Jane said stretching her legs out a bit. "Being stuck in here is making me feel and do crazy things."

"Which crazy things are you referring to?"

Jane rolled her eyes playfully and cut her eyes in the direction of the kitchen. Maura chuckled and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the light of the fireplace. Oh yeah, she definitely liked it. Jane sized her up instantly realized that this was going to be one interesting vacation.

She sat up slowly and frowned a bit at her; a playful smile crossed her face. Feeling Maura's positive response then and seeing it now excited her beyond belief. Her eyes involuntarily glanced down at her lips again. She wondered what was going through her mind at the time.

"Did you like it?" Jane decided to just ask.

Maura nodded.

"I could tell." Jane said with a laugh and a wink.

"Why did you kiss me?" Maura said getting more comfortable on her side of the couch. She reached and put the popcorn bowl on the coffee table. "I mean, what motivated you to do it?"

Jane sat up and faced her. She sighed heavily, choosing her words carefully.

"Gratitude."

"Gratitude?"

"Yeah," Jane said as she reached and touched Maura's hand that was draped across her legs. "I was so grateful that you opened that door, you know. And you did all you could to warm me up… Although I wish I had been awake when you were cuddling naked with me."

Maura chuckled lightly, "I was not naked, Jane."

"Yeah, yeah… Still. And I was grateful for you accepting my apology. I was so overwhelmed with so many good feelings at the moment. Feelings I hadn't felt in a long time with you and feelings I hadn't felt before at all."

Maura nodded slowly and watched her.

Jane reached and ran her fingers through her hair. "Why did you kiss me back?"

Now it was Maura's turn to share her thoughts on the kiss. "Because I wanted to." She simply said.

Jane was shocked. She expected an extremely convoluted explanation as to human sexuality and how the body and mind responds in mysterious ways when there is an external stimuli present. She'd heard it all before… But not this time. Maura gave a very simple and clear response.

When Jane realized that Maura was not going to embellish her explanation, she smiled and laughed. Maura just looked at her and the way she was looking at her was making Jane slightly nervous. It wasn't like she wanted Jane to say anything, it was more like she wanted her to do something.

Jane cleared her throat. "Well, I'm glad you wanted to." Jane felt the heat rising in her face. "Because at that moment there was nothing that I wanted to do more."

"Oh really?"

"Um Hmm." Jane became aware of the fact that she had been softly caressing Maura's hand for a while now. It felt so natural it was like second nature. She sighed. "Man, I don't know what's wrong with me." She laughed nervously and withdrew her hand from Maura's.

Maura glanced at her hand and then back up at her, "Why does something necessarily have to be 'wrong' with you?" she asked, reaching and taking Jane's hand into her own. She didn't have to wonder what Jane was referring to, she already knew. She could read Jane like a book. Jane couldn't hide anything from her at all.

Jane just shrugged and looked over at the fire. If only Maura knew what thoughts she'd had in her mind, she would rethink that question. Jane just needed to focus, because everything inside of her right now wanted to lose control and show Maura exactly what was wrong with her.

"Jane?" Maura called her softly.

When Jane turned towards her, she immediately felt comfort in the eyes that met hers. "Uh huh?"

"There's nothing wrong with what happened. I'm glad it did."

"Me too."

Jane suddenly felt like someone had put some burning embers underneath the blanket. Either her body temp was going up or it was Maura's… Or both.

"Cabin Fever is no joke."

Maura chuckled. "We've hardly been inside long enough to develop cabin fever, Jane."

Jane rolled her eyes at her. Maura and her technical specifics. "If you only knew."

"If I only knew what?"

Jane shook her head slowly and squeezed Maura's hand, subtly pulling her again towards her. Jane's entire organism wanted nothing more than for Maura to be in her arms again. All she wanted was to hold her.

When Maura didn't respond immediately to her more subtle suggestions, she pulled harder. Maura moved Jane's legs off of her lap and scooted closer. The light from the fireplace danced across Maura's face as she drew closer to her.

When she was close enough to touch, Jane reached up and caressed her cheek with the back of her hand. Maura leaned into it and sighed softly.

"I'm happy you decided to do something incredibly stupid and come here." Maura's lips grazed across Jane's hand, sending shivers up her spine.

"I had to win you back. At all costs."

"That is so sweet, Jane. But you've always had me."

Jane's eyes shifted back down to her lips. Her body and heart anticipating touching her lips again with her own, but her mind was screaming at her to calm the fuck down. She closed her eyes and shook off the intense wave of desire that had rushed through her body. She sat trembling with restraint.

"Are you okay?" Maura asked.

She nodded, "Yeah I am." She whispered. She moved closer at the same time while pulling Maura into her arms. She embraced her tightly and sighed at the feeling of her body against hers. Jane wrapped her arms around Maura's slim waist and nuzzled her face into the crook of her neck.

When her lips brushed across the skin of Maura's neck, Maura whimpered again like she did before, but this time she drove her fingers through Jane's hair and pulled her closer. Jane saw this as an invitation and accepted it. She slowly parted her lips and pressed them against Maura's neck, giving her a gentle kiss.

Her sweet Maura seemed to melt in her arms, her body giving way to a quiver that Jane had only read about in books. And the fact that she was the one who caused it excited her even more. She gauged her actions according to Maura's responses. She decided to stick with the simple and light neck kisses. One after another, she gave her little pecks and occasional nibbles.

Maura chuckled, "That tickles."

Jane smiled against her neck and inhaled the sweetness of her skin. She had no idea where they were heading, but one thing was for sure. There was no one around that could stop them.

Every second that passed, Jane's desire increased. They said nothing to each other. Nothing was really needed to be said in order to communicate their thoughts on what was happening. They were sharing an intimate moment that neither one of them saw coming. Just yesterday, they were hardly speaking to each other, and today…

"What are we doing?" Maura asked breathlessly.

Jane tightened her grip around her, her mind quickly barreling towards a point of no return. "I have no idea." She said as she trailed her kisses down to her collarbone, an extremely sensitive spot for Maura apparently.

"Jane…" Maura gasped softly and clenched Jane's hair in between her fingers.

"Um hmm?"

Maura responded by leaning backwards against the opposite end of the couch and pulling Jane on top of her. Something was on fire in this cabin and it wasn't just the fireplace. Jane gazed into her eyes for a moment before leaning in and continuing where she left off.

It felt amazing before, but laying on top of Maura now and kissing her neck was by far the best feeling she'd ever felt in her life. The way Maura's slim body moved beneath her was incredible and the way Maura's breaths came out as soft moans. Never in a million years did she think she'd be making out with Maura on the couch, at some rustic cabin far away from civilization during a raging snowstorm.

It was so surreal. Almost too surreal that she'd for a second thought that she was dreaming it all. "Are you sure you don't have a touch of cabin fever?" Jane teased her.

Maura chuckled, her breath catching in her throat when Jane passed over the spot that made her melt each and every time her lips touched it. It was the spot directly below her right ear. Jane's soft lips captured her lobe and kissed it softly.

Maura sighed and moaned softly, while lifting her body to meet Jane's. "I'm sure." She said as she pulled Jane up to look into her eyes. "I'm actually very happy that you're here with me right now, Jane."

Jane smiled at her. Maura held Jane's face so delicately as she gazed into her eyes. There was absolutely no rush to this moment. Neither one of them fully understood what this moment actually was, but they certainly didn't want to rush it.

Jane waited for her cue, which came about a minute into their gazing at each other. Maura's eyes glanced down at her lips before returning to hers. She knew enough about body language to know that that was the sign of someone's desire for a kiss. She leaned in slowly.

Her eyes never broke away from Maura's as she closed the distance. Her heart wanted so much at that moment. She wanted a fully passionate deep kiss, but then again she wanted it slow and sensual. It didn't really matter, as long as she was able to be close to her like she wanted.

Their lips touched just briefly before their kiss was interrupted by an extremely loud crashing sound from outside, followed by the lights simultaneously going out.

They both gasped from the fright. Whatever crashed outside hit pretty close because it literally shook the entire house.

Jane rolled off of Maura and onto the floor. "What the fuck was that?"

Maura jumped up and ran over to the window peering out. "Oh no, Jane. The car!" She said swinging the door opened. Immediately the raging storm rushed inside as she crossed the threshold to get a closer look.

Jane joined her and looked out in front of the porch. "Oh Christ!" Jane gasped. A huge tree had crashed across the front, taking out the power lines and Maura's poor rental.

"I need to get in contact with the power company."

"I highly doubt you'll get someone to come out." Jane said pulling Maura back inside, "Doesn't this place have a backup generator?"

Maura shrugged, "I'm not sure." She said walking over to the kitchen and looking out the side window, "There's a utility closet attached out back. It's probably there."

Jane sighed, "Do you know anything about generators?"

"Not really."

She nodded and reached for her jacket. "Well, that's my cue." She said sliding her feet into her boots and quickly lacing them up.

Maura caught her arm, "Wait, where are you going?"

"Outside to locate the generator and turn it on." She said shrugging into her jacket and closing it tightly around her body. "It's going to get really cold in here without power."

"Okay," Maura said grabbing her coat as well and slipping it on. She slipped into her sneakers and scarf and cap. "Ready." She said as she waited for Jane.

She followed Jane to the back door. Jane turned the knob and it didn't budge. "What the hell?" She groaned as she tried to turn it harder. It wouldn't give at all. "Is it frozen?" She said as she tried again with no luck.

"I'm not sure."

"Oh well," Jane said nodding towards the front door, "Let's go."

When Jane opened the front door, again she was greeted by the blistering cold wind and biting snow. Immediately her thoughts traveled back to her short, but arduous journey to Maura's front door the night before. She tightened her jacket and stepped outside.

Maura stopped her at the top step. "Wait, Jane," she said removing her cap, "Take this."

"No," Jane said taking the hat and pulling it back over Maura's head. "I'll take the scarf."

Maura handed her the scarf and she quickly wrapped it around her neck. She took Maura's hand and pointed around back, "Come on, before the weather gets worse."

They had just a little time before the stronger winds came in. Even though they were close to the cabin, they could easily fall into a whiteout situation because they weren't familiar with the layout of the grounds.

Jane held onto Maura's hand firmly, determined to only let go if her life depended on it… Even then she probably wouldn't. It took just a few minutes to make it around the back, and even longer to actually locate the generator.

"Where the fuck is it, Maur?" she yelled over the deafening wind. She squinted her eyes, straining to see any resemblance of a generator in the closest proximity.

"There it is, Jane!" Maura exclaimed and pointed over towards the stacks of firewood on the back porch.

"Yes!" Jane said as she pulled Maura out of the snowstorm and underneath the cover of the back porch. And it was exactly what they were looking for, tucked in the corner next to the firewood. It seemed to be in perfect condition, being that it had been covered and kept out of the elements.

"Does it work?"

"It looks fine to me," Jane said inspecting the machine. It had been connected to a panel on the back of the home. Jane inspected the panel to see if all the correct wires connected to the right switches. Everything was connected as it should be. It should work perfectly. Jane looked around for a starting cord. "Let see what happens," She said. She pulled the plug. Nothing.

"Try it again," Maura said.

Jane looked up at her and rolled her eyes, "Really?"

"Sorry…"

Jane tried again and again. And again. It would not start. Jane was so frustrated. She had to be overlooking something. Everything looked fine. She was freezing. The cold and wind at first were biting at her face and skin, but now they were gnawing at her bones. She couldn't think straight. All she wanted to do was get back inside.

"Jane?"

Jane didn't answer her as she kept trying to crank the generator. The last thing she wanted was for her and Maura to freeze the death out here in the middle of nowhere.

"Jane?"

By now her irritation level had risen to astronomical levels. "What, Maura?!" She snapped. Upon seeing the look on Maura's face she immediately felt regret, but it was too late. "Ugh…" she groaned, her lips quivered uncontrollably. "It's so fucking cold out here, we need to get this thing started."

Maura reached and tightened the scarf around Jane's neck. "Gasoline, Jane. Check to see if it has any gasoline." She nearly had to yell over the wind.

Jane bent down on one knee and checked the gas level. Empty.

She looked around for a gas container. She pulled herself to her feet and she and Maura searched frantically for it. Jane found it a couple of minutes later. Thankfully there was still gasoline in the container. Enough to last a while.

Without saying anything else, Jane filled up the generator with gas and attempted to crank it again. On the second try, it started.

"Hell yes!" Jane said as she grabbed Maura and hugged her. "Let's get back inside." Jane knew she needed to be inside and fast, so she went to the back door and tried the knob from outside.

She looked around for something to help her break inside. "Hand me that crowbar thing over there." She said pointing in the corner.

"Jane, you can't break this door. This isn't my home."

"I understand that, Maur, but I'm freezing my ass off. I'll pay for it. Just hurry please." And Jane was serious. It was an extremely uncomfortable feeling nearly freezing to death and she didn't want to do experience it again.

Maura reluctantly handed her the bar and watched as Jane broke into the cabin. She pulled Maura inside and closed the door behind her. Maura pulled a chair over to the door and secured it shut. The electricity had been restored to the place and all was fine and dandy.

Jane shuffled over to the fireplace and dropped to her knees. She pulled off her jacket and tossed it into the corner.

"Are you okay?" Maura called from the kitchen. She had started another pot of soup on the stove.

"Yeah, I'm just cold." Jane shivered as she extended her hands towards the fire, warming them by the heat. "Can you help me take off the rest of my stuff? My fingers are numb."

Maura was there within seconds. "I'm feeling a strange sense of de ja vu." She said softly.

"Funny funny," Jane mocked amusement. She sat on her bottom and pointed to her boots. "I know you really want to get me out of my clothes and all, but make sure you start with my boots…" she smiled, "because you know it'll be extremely hard to take my pants off over them."

They both shared a chuckle. "Yes, I know, silly." She said unlacing Jane's boots.

Poor Jane didn't say much, because she was literally chilled to the bone. She just watched Maura perform her task in silence. Maura pulled off Jane's boots and placed them beside the couch. She held her feet gently as she pulled off her socks. Jane leaned back against the couch and attempted to unbutton her pants, but her fingers and hands were still too numb to do any dexterous tasks.

She groaned slightly and squeezed her hands into fists. Maura reached over and covered Jane's hands with her own. "I'll do it," She said softly.

She sat up on her knees and unbuttoned Jane's pants. Jane lifted herself up slightly so Maura could pull her pants down her legs and off of her body.

"You know Ma would say that the reason why I freeze so easily is because I need to put on some weight."

Maura chuckled lightly as she folded Jane's pants and placed them on top of the boots. "Yes, you're probably right." She glanced up at Jane. "Are you feeling better?"

Jane nodded, "Yeah, I'm warming up a little. Thanks."

"You're welcome," she said rising from her spot and walking towards the kitchen. She stopped halfway and removed her shoes and socks before entering the kitchen.

Jane watched her move about in the kitchen. From washing her hands by the sink to the cupboard, to the fridge, to the stove. Every move was fluid and angelic. As if she could feel her eyes on her, Maura looked up and met her gaze. She smiled softly as she gathered a single bowl into her hands and came into the living room area.

"Here you go." She said handing Jane the bowl. "Can you hold it?"

"Yeah," she said grabbing the warm bowl with trembling hands. "I'm good."

Maura watched her sip the soup slowly. She moved around and took the blanket from the couch and wrapped it around them. She wrapped her arm around Jane and pulled her closer.

"You know, we need to stop meeting like this," she teased.

Jane laughed and leaned her head against Maura's. Maura sighed heavily and pressed her lips against Jane's temple.

"I wouldn't have known to look for that if you hadn't been here." She said quietly. "You're so amazing, Jane."

"It's not a big deal," Jane said turning towards Maura, "I'm glad we're here together."

"Me too, Jane." Maura smiled.

They couldn't possibly pick back up where they had left off before the tree crashed the party, but they could certainly keep moving forward. Maura reached up and caressed Jane's face softly.

"I'm going to go draw you a bath so you can warm up some more," she said gazing into Jane's eyes. Jane smiled and watched her lean in slowly and place a feather soft kiss on her lips. Before pulling away, Maura grazed the edge of Jane's top lip with her tongue, making her intentions clearly evident.

Jane swallowed hard; her brain trying to process it while watching her walk upstairs. Jane stopped trying to figure this out. All she wanted to do was just experience it. No thinking, no detecting… Just living.

Ten minutes later, Maura stepped into view at the railing upstairs. "Your bath is ready." She called down.

Jane rose to her feet and walked to the bottom of the staircase. This was the first time since her uninvited arrival that Maura had invited her upstairs. Her heart raced. She shook it off.

 _It's just a bath. No big deal, right?_

But as she gazed up at Maura, something told her that it was not going to be just an ordinary bath. Because Maura made everything in Jane's life extraordinary.

"Are you ready, Jane?" Maura asked.

Jane nodded, "Yes, I am." She said as she took the first step and ascended the stairs. "I'm so ready."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading!**


End file.
